McMullen: Ultimate Driver Championship to grow sport

By Jordan Gerrans

Pete McMullen is eager to fly around the Albion Park track like a hawk during the inaugural Ultimate Driver Championship and in the process expose the sport to a new audience.

The champion Queensland reinsman is one of a trio of local drivers to fly the flag for the Sunshine State when the series commences next week alongside his cousin Nathan Dawson and young gun Angus Garrard.

The 10 drivers taking part in the first UDC were selected by slot holders.

The majority of those slot holders were purchased by harness racing-aligned businesses or groups.

However, McMullen – who is known as ‘Leader Peter’ for his front-running driving style – will be competing for 'The Unharnessed Hawks Syndicate'.

'The Unharnessed Hawks Syndicate' represent a group of volunteers from the Sandgate Hawks local AFL club in the northern area of Brisbane.

The 33-year-old McMullen believes the connection with another sporting code is key to growing harness racing and notes that a new concept like the UDC will be enticing for potential first-time viewers.

“The footy team have got together and got a big bunch of people for it,” he said.

“It is really good to have outside people come to the trots and see what it is all about.

“It is very exciting and I am very privileged to be picked by those guys. Hopefully we can get the job done for them.

“I can’t thank my slot holders enough to get picked and compete against the likes of Yannick Gingras, Dexter Dunn and Bjorn Goop – it is pretty exciting stuff.”

Racing Queensland’s General Manager of Racing David Brick backed McMullen’s thoughts.

“It was an easy choice for the Unharnessed Hawks Syndicate and it’s another tick of approval for the Championship as a whole to have a local footy club see the potential for what it will bring to the sport and get involved at its inception,” Brick said.

The first UDC will bring together a crop of the finest harness drivers from across the globe to Brisbane.

McMullen has competed on the world stage in recent years, travelling to Europe to test himself in the World Driving Championship in August of 2023.

The multiple Group 1-winner has solidified himself amongst the sport’s top reinsmen by winning two JD Watts Awards, bestowed upon the nation’s premier driver.

He is now looking forward to welcoming ‘the best of the best’ to his own backyard.

“I am very excited to be involved in such a huge thing like the Ultimate Driver Championship in the first year running,” the champion local reinsman said.

“It is exciting to have my name amongst the best drivers in the world.

“For me in my career, I have been very fortunate to go all around the world and compete against the best there is.

“But, once again to compete against the best in the world – it is a huge honour.”

While McMullen has driven in a few European nations during the WDC a couple of years ago, he did not get on the track alongside superstar Swedish reinsman Bjorn Goop.

The leading Sunshine State driver identified the respected Goop as the person he was most enthusiastic to get out there with once the UDC commences.

Goop is regarded as harness racing royalty with a Swedish record of more than 8,000 wins.

“I have been lucky to drive against the best in the world but he is one I have not driven against,” the man that is known as ‘Leader Peter’ said.

“I am really looking forward to that and letting him show us his skills. He is the best in Europe and he is a role model over there.

“I am really looking forward to him coming to drive some pacers in our neck of the woods.”

McMullen is most looking forward to driving against Goop but it is the North American-based duo of Dunn and Gingras that he has selected to be his biggest dangers when it comes to taking home the inaugural crown.

He believes the American influence in races will provide a high-octane spectacle for harness viewers.  

“I watch a lot of American racing and I think Dexter Dunn is definitely the man to beat,” McMullen said.

“The American-based drivers will be hard to beat and in my eyes, Dexter is the world’s best. In saying that, Yannick is not far behind him and won a lot of big races.

“But, Yannick is a very aggressive driver, as well. I think they are going to bring a lot to our racing as they will be fast and furious.

“It is going to be interesting and I am looking forward to seeing what they will do on our soil.”

In the exciting new concept, 10 of the world’s top harness drivers will battle it out across 20 races, spread over two feature nights at Albion Park across February 21 – 22.

The unique UDC series will see slot holders pick both the drivers and horses to compete in the slots across the 20 races.

They select both the drivers and horses to compete in their respective slots, with over $250,000 in prize money on offer.

Click here to learn more about the Ultimate Driver Championship.